Skip to the Wedding Flight
by Xagrok
Summary: Percy's mother marries.
"How do I look?" Sally had asked Percy, spinning around in her dress. Her cheeks were flushed brightly, her gorgeous brown hair dancing like she was, with some flowers woven in, beautiful and vibrant like her eyes, making them stand out even more. The dress, white with some accentuating golden features, fit her perfectly, making her look younger and even sweeter (if that was possible), almost like she was seventeen. She looked like a young aristocrat, about to be crowned as queen.

Percy looked at her, eyeing her carefully. "You look great, Mom," he said with a smile. "Mr. Blofis - Paul will be happy."

Sally hugged him with excitement, adjusting his suit here and there while her bridesmaids chuckled with mirth.

"Mom?" Percy asked, hugging her back, a little tighter.

"Yes, Percy?"

"You'll be a great bride. You can do this."

* * *

The wedding went surprisingly well, as if Hera herself had given this wedding her blessing. Not that Percy would have wanted or expected it, but he appreciated the wedding's success without any complaint.

As the newlyweds and their guests and families proceeded to the place they would celebrate in, Percy looked around. So many mortals, happy about the wedding. His mother and new stepfather, almost glowing, their smiles so wide it had to hurt, while his mother had tears like diamonds in her eyes.

A warm feeling arose in his chest as he sat down. After everyone had taken a seat, the newlyweds held their speech, thanking everyone for their attendance. While they were speaking, Percy's attention was short-lived, so his mind started to wander.

Paul and Sally would form a great family. Maybe he'd even get a little brother or sister. They'd be so happy. His mother deserved this normality after all she went through, with her parents, with Gabe, with the constant worry over Percy.

His good mood started to vanish. Would they need him after this? Wouldn't he just endanger them, attracting monsters with his powerful smell? Despite the guests being mortals and Sally's ability to see through the mist, monsters could kill mortals, whether they saw it or not.

Monsters. He was surrounded by people, and monsters could still smell him. Smell him even through the masses, despite maybe being uncertain as to who he was. Even this short after the battle surrounding the labyrinth, with his pause approved by Chiron via special permission, he and everyone surrounding him was endangered. Luke and his minions surely were seeking to kill him and make it so he wasn't a threat anymore. He wished Annabeth was with him - she'd have a plan. His best friend always had a plan.

With Luke being a traitor, Percy wouldn't put it past him to use the party as a means to kill him more easily or to get to him, and if an enemy demigod, even Luke, were well-dressed enough to storm the party…

Percy flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder, his hand almost twitching to take Riptide out on instinct, only for him to look into the eyes of a relative of Paul. "Are you okay, kid? You frowned so hard it looked like it'd become permanent, and you started to whisper all of a sudden -"

Percy tried to gently shake off the hand. "Thank you, ma'am. I think I'll go and catch some air."

The woman frowned. "But they haven't finished their speech, and directly afterwards, we'll have to watch them cut the cake. Isn't that your mom?"

Percy tried to smile - although it felt more like he was grimacing - and nodded, trying to calm down.

During their speech, his glance raced over the guests over and over, always trying to spot a suspicious-looking person, or even something like an out-of-the-ordinary pet. Feeling very conscious of his smell, he tugged at his suit, trying hard to sit still during Paul's speech as he wiggled nervously.

With every passing sentence, the crowd felt more and more oppressing, constraining. His ADHD brain went into full battle-mode, attempting to scan the crowd like a battlefield, his hand gripped tightly around Riptide in his pocket to pull it out immediately, should the need arise. His breathing, though he tried to control it, grew faster, more laboured, as he felt like he was sweating as much as though he was trying to do Sisyphus' work.

When the clapping started, he flinched so hard that he was given multiple gazes, some worried, some annoyed. He ignored them, never stopping his scan of the crowd. Wasn't that youth back there suspicious, being bigger than usually? That ugly poodle back there, didn't his fangs suddenly seem larger?

Sally and Paul moved to the cake with a knife to cut it. What if a monster pushed them so they would impale themselves? What if they got hurt, or killed? That woman back there, her dress was so ugly, she could only be a monster - or was she? That bird back there - it beak glistened like bronze. Or did it?

When the applause started after the first cut, Percy bolted.

* * *

The monsters weren't allowed to find him when he was close to the others. He needed to flee. If he was alone, it wouldn't be a problem. He needed to get away. His mom needed to be safe. Away, away away. Faster. Turn left, turn right.

A closet to his right. Would they find him there? Didn't matter, he needed to get away. His mom needed to be safe. He uncapped Riptide, ripping the door open. It was empty. Good. He went inside and closed the door, Riptide glowing softly.

When he had made sure the door was properly locked, he broke down, curling up, and started to sob. Quietly at first, but as his thoughts raced on - His mom would be hurt or killed because of him, Paul would be hurt, those innocent bystanders, because he was a danger, he was dangerous and endangering, and if they were hurt or killed, it'd be his fault, because he attracted monsters, because he was too weak to defend them, because it was his fault - his sobs grew in intensity until he was violently shaking, tears rolling down his cheeks, staining the suit - the suit his mother had chosen for him, because it looked good on him, she'd said, the expensive suit she'd chosen specifically for this wedding, for him, for them.

They'd be hurt and die because he wasn't able to protect them. He wasn't even able to keep his shirt clean - they'd die and it'd be his fault. Like Bianca, like Zoë, like Daedalus -

Percy swayed, even in his current position. He tried to breathe more evenly, and when that didn't work, he shakily felt around in the closet. A sink, and a flashlight. Using those, he created a rainbow with shaky hands. Who should he call? Annabeth? No, she was too occupied, and she wouldn't get here fast enough in case something happened. Grover? No. It'd need to be someone who could get here immediately.

Percy threw the golden drachma he'd kept in his pocket in case of an emergency into the small rainbow. "Iris, goddess of the rainbow, take my offer," he choked out. He had to swallow a few times, trying to steady his breathing more, before he said the name.

The vision blurred and grew blurrier and blurrier. Then, all of a sudden, it sharpened, opening the scene on a dark, dreary place in which the one he'd searched for was standing: Nico di Angelo.

The son of Hades' head snapped around when he heard Percy's still continuing sobs. Percy thought he might look like a loser, but he didn't -couldn't - care for it right now. He couldn't care that Nico probably hated him. He needed to make sure the others were safe.

"Please come get me?" he blubbered out. Nico looked at him, his dark brown, almost black eyes with dark circles nearly piercing through him as if he hadn't seen him before, but didn't ask anything except for his location, which he named. Almost immediately after that, the vision disappeared and Nico stepped out of the shadows next to Percy. With tear-filled eyes, Percy asked him to get him away from the wedding after telling his mom, and when they were back at Percy's apartment, the son of Poseidon collapsed on the couch.

Nico stood in the living room, not seeming to know what to do, until Percy motioned for him to get over. When the younger boy sat down next to him, Percy clutched his hands into Nico's skeleton T-shirt and sobbed, staining that shirt as well, while Nico patted Percy on the back awkwardly.

"There, there," Nico murmured into Percy's ear. He rubbed his hands over Percy's back in soothing circles, and when Percy finally stopped shaking and crying, he fell asleep in Nico's arms.

Nico looked at Percy again, as if he'd never seen him before. The hero who had bravely saved him had been reduced to a sobbing mess with tear stricken cheeks and puffy, swollen eyes. The hero he'd admired, he'd hated for failing despite appearing to be so strong - he was just a boy as well.

Nico wouldn't pry, but what would make someone as brave as Percy as desperate as this? _As soon as you wake up, I'll listen to you_ , Nico decided. It was the least he could do.


End file.
